the Reader to what I have faid of it in my Difcourse on the Freedom of the Will *. Though, befides what I have there faid, I may here obferve, That if for God fo far to order and dispose the Being of Sin, as to permit it, by with-holding the gracious Influences neceffary to prevent it, is for him to be the Author of Sin, then some Things which Dr. T. himself lays down, will equally be attended with this very Confequence. For, from Time to Time, he fpeaks of God's giving Men up to the vileft Lufts and Affections, by permitting, or leaving them +. Now, if the Continuance of Sin, and its Increase and Prevalence, may be in Confequence of God's Difpofal, by his with-holding that Grace, that is needful, under fuch Circumftances, to prevent it, without God's being the Author of that Continuance and Prevalence of Sin; then, by Parity of Reafon, may the Being of Sin, in the Race of Adam, be in Confequence of God's Difpofal, by his with-holding that Grace, that is needful to prevent it, without his being the Author of that Being of Sin.

If here it fhould be faid, that God is not the Author of Sin, in giving Men up to Sin, who have already made themselves finful, because when Men have once made themselves finful, their continuing fo, and Sin's prevailing in them, and becoming more and more habitual, will follow in a Courfe of Nature: I anfwer, Let that be remembered, which this Writer fo greatly urges, in Oppofition to them that fuppofe original Corruption comes in a Course of Nature, viz. That the Course of Nature is nothing without God. He utterly rejects the Notion of the "Courfe of Nature's being

66 a

*Part iv. 9. p. 354, &c. +Key, § 388, Note: and Par. on Rom. i. 24, 26.

*

" a proper active Caufe, which will work, and go on by itself, without God, if he lets or permits it." But affirms, "That the Course of "Nature, feparate from the Agency of God, is "no Caufe, or Nothing; and that the Courfe of "Nature fhould continue itself, or go on to ope

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rate by itself, any more than at firft produce it

felf, is abfolutely impoffible." Thefe ftrong Expreffions are his. Therefore, to explain the Continuance of the Habits of Sin in the fame Perfon, when once introduced, yea, to explain the very Being of any fuch Habits, in Confequence of repeated Acts, our Author must have Recourse to thofe fame Principles, which he rejects as abfurd to the utmost Degree, when alledged to explain the Corruption of Nature in the Pofterity of Adam. For, that Habits, either good or bad, fhould continue, after being once established, or that Habits fhould be fettled and have Existence in Confequence of repeated Acts, can be owing only to a Course of Nature, and those Laws of Nature which God has established.

That the Pofterity of Adam fhould be born without Holiness, and fo with a depraved Nature, comes to pass as much by the established Course of Nature, as the Continuance of a corrupt Difpofition in a particular Perfon, after he once has it, or as much as Adam's continuing unholy and corrupt, after he had once loft his Holinefs. For Adam's Pofterity are from Him, and as it were in him, and belonging to him, according to an established Course of Nature, as much as the Branches of a Tree are, according to a Caurfe of Nature, from the Tree, in the Tree, and belonging to the Tree; or (to make

* Page 134. S. See alfo with what Vehemence this is urged in p. 137. S.

make Ufe of the Comparison which Dr. T. himself chufes and makes Ufe of from Time to Time, as proper to illustrate the Matter *) just as the Acorn is derived from the Oak. And I think, the Acorn is as much derived from the Oak, according to the Course of Nature, as the Buds and Branches. It is true, that God, by his own almighty Power, creates the Soul of the Infant; and it is alfo true, as Dr. T. often infifts, that God, by his immediate Power, forms and fashions the Body of the Infant in the Womb; yet he does both according to that Courfe of Nature, which he has been pleased to eftablish. The Courfe of Nature is demonftrated, by late Improvements in Philofophy, to be indeed what our Author himself fays it is, viz. Nothing but the established Order of the Agency and Operation of the Author of Nature. And though there be the immediate Agency of God in bringing the Soul into Exiftence in Generation, yet it is done according to the Method and Order establifhed by the Author of Nature, as much as his producing the Bud, or the Acorn of the Oak; and as much as his continuing a particular Perfon in Being, after he once has Exiftence. God's immediate Agency in bringing the Soul of a Child into Being, is as much according to an established Order, as his immediate Agency in any of the Works of Nature whatsoever. It is agreeable to the establifhed Order of Nature, that the good Qualities wanting in the Tree, fhould also be wanting in the Branches and Fruit. It is agreeable to the Order of Nature, that when a particular Person is without good moral Qualities in his Heart, he should continue without them, till fome new Caufe or Efficiency produces them: And it is as much agreeable to an established Course and Order of Nature, that fince

* Page 146, 187.

fince Adam, the Head of the Race of Mankind, the Root of that great Tree with many Branches fpringing from it, was deprived of original Righteousness, the Branches fhould come forth without it. Or, if any diflike the Word Nature, as ufed in this last Cafe, and instead of it chufe to call it a Conftitution, or established Order of fucceffive Events, the Alteration of the Name will not in the least alter the State of the prefent Argument. Where the Name, Nature, is allowed without Difpute, no more is meant than an established Method and Order of Events, fettled and limited by divine Wisdom.

If any fhould object to this,. That if the Want of original Righteousness be thus according to an established Courfe of Nature, then why are not Principles of Holiness, when restored by divine Grace, alfo communicated to Pofterity? I anfwer, The divine Laws and Establishments of the Author of Nature, are precifely fettled by him as he pleaseth, and limited by his Wifdom. Grace is introduced among the Race of Mankind, by a new Establishment; not on the Foot of the original Establishment of God, as the Head of the natural World, and Author of the first Creation; but by a Constitution of a vaftly higher Kind; wherein Chrift is made the Root of the Tree, whofe Branches are his fpiritual Seed, and He is the Head of the new Creation; of which I need not ftand now to Speak particularly.

But here I defire it may be noted, that I do not fuppofe the natural Depravity of the Pofterity of Adam is owing to the Courfe of Nature only; it is alfo owing to the just Judgment of God. But yet I think, it is as truly and in the fame Manner

owing

owing to the Courfe of Nature, that Adam's Pofterity come into the World without original Righteoufnefs, as that Adam continued without it, after he had once loft it. That Adam continued destitute of Holinefs, when he had loft it, and would, always have fo continued, had it not been restored by a Redeemer, was not only a natural Confequence, according to the Course of Things established by God, as the Author of Nature; but it was also a penal Confequence, or a Punishment of his Sin. God, in righteous Judgment, continued to abfent himfelf from Adam after he became a Rebel; and with-held from him now those Influences of the Holy Spirit, which he before had. And juft thus I fuppofe it to be with every natural Branch of Mankind All are looked upon as finning in and with their common Root; and God righteously with-holds fpecial Influences and fpiritual Communications from all, for this Sin. But of the Manner and Order of these Things, more may be faid in the next Chapter.

On the Whole, this grand Objection against the Doctrine of Men's being born corrupt, That it makes Him who gave us our Being, to be the Caufe of the Being of Corruption, can have no more Force in it, than a like Argument has to prove, that if Men by a Courfe of Nature continue Wicked, or remain without Goodness, after they have by vis cious Acts contracted vicious Habits, and fo made themselves wicked, it makes Him, who is the Caufe of their Continuance in Being, and the Cause of the Continuance of the Courfe of Nature, to be the Caufe of their continued Wickedness. Dr. T. fays*, "God would not make any Thing that is hateful "to him; because, by the very Terms, He “would

* Page 136. S.